Ramadan Reflections: 30 days of healing from the past, journeying with presence and looking ahead to an akhirah-focused future

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Muslims are not supposed to avoid work just because we are fasting. Therefore, I would go about my working day as normal. I tend to have some good days when I don't feel the fast, but I also have off days when I tend to struggle. It's mainly the dehydration that gets me rather than the hunger. During Ramadan this year, two Physiotherapy colleagues from Clinical and Scientific Services have written an article with useful information about Ramadan and Edi Ul Fitr, which was featured in the quarterly AHP Newsletter. You can read the article written by Naheed Ahmed and Mai Hussain here. We would not usually find out when Eid is until the evening before. I usually wait impatiently for our local mosque to make the announcements, who in return wait for the Glasgow Central Mosque to confirm.

I usually spend the first couple of weeks of Ramadan working, and will have short breaks during the day to pray. I will also ensure that any parties to the proceedings are given sufficient breaks to enable them to participate fairly. During Ramadan, I avoid going to the lunchroom and use this time effectively to work. After work, I will rest for a few hours before the fast opening time and this enables me to catch up on sleep. I will then open my fast at around 7:45pm, it is customary to open the fast by eating a date and have some fruits, which is then followed by a meal with family and friends.Our daily lives involve high levels of repetition of activities within similar contexts. Habits are automatically triggered behaviors in which we engage without conscious, awareness, or deliberate control. Although habits help us to operate efficiently, breaking them requires great effort […] My experience with the book is that it offers motivation, solace, and guidance through the teachings of Islam. It would benefit most ages and both genders. I will be the first to admit that I am def more inclined towards reading fiction and that I usually have a hard time finishing nonfiction books. But truly this book is diffferent!!! Our daily lives include a host of distractions and constant information that mean our senses become overly stimulated. Any point of stillness seems impossible in a world that is constantly evolving. Being surrounded by so much information does us no favours and we lose the ability to be present in our lives […]

Throughout the month, fasting between sunrise and sunset is obligatory for all Muslims, except for the ill, pregnant, traveling, elderly, or menstruating. Days missed fasting can be made up throughout the rest of the year, either all at once or one day here and there. ( Read about Ramadan with your kids.) If you are a stranger to the title in the third chapter or are emotionally guarded she will challenge you to feel. Make sure you read Ramadan Reflections where you have few distractions. The Quranic ayahs, ahadith, and duas are beautiful and need to be savoured. The difficulty with reviewing Aliyah's book is knowing where to start... there is something about each chapter that will touch your heart.... that's 100% guaranteed, if you are open to coming closer to your Creator and Lord. Meetings - consider hosting meetings earlier in the day (from 10am - 1pm) rather than in the afternoon, as energy levels may reduce during the day.

Ramadan is all about starry nights and the crescent moon, and Egypt takes the concept of lighting up the night sky a step further. The country’s people gather together to welcome the Holy Month with colourful fanous – intricate lanterns that symbolise unity and joy – decorating the streets. There is much ancient folklore about the origins of the lanterns, but a popular tale dates their use to a night during the Fatimid dynasty. It’s said locals gathered to greet the Caliphate Al-Muʿizz li-Dīn Allah as he arrived in Cairo on the first day of Ramadan. Military officials held candles, sheltered with wooden frames against the wind, to light the dark streets. With Taqwa we can see clearly who we are, where we are, and where we need to get to, and how we can reach that destination. Ramadan is here to ensure that we have this essential provision with which we can stay safe on our journey of life and attain that cherished destination of eternal rest, peace and joy, and most of all, the ridwan of our Creator and Lord. Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The exact dates of Ramadan change every year. This is because Islam uses a calendar based on the lunar cycle. early start and up before dawn ensuring I had Sahūr - the meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before fasting. I ensured my Sahūr was wholesome, and I drank plenty of water. The most common question I was asked was ‘ not even water?!’ – yes, not even water and it was the no water that was making me the most nervous.

The book truly is healing and spiritual- I found myself crying and reflecting often- and the slowing down and really reflecting on powerful parts of our deen was so warming to my heart and so powerful in inspiring me to feel spiritual.Onto repentance on Day 6; moving forward to self-love on Day 14 to having tāwwakụl on Day 23 and one of my faves learning the beauty of istakhara on Day 27 — it has been like a mental rollercoaster ride. There have been days I’ve cried. Cried thinking about my past, thinking about the hardships, trials and of my sins. I’ve cried whilst learning to let go by forgiving others (Day 7). I was always a believer in forgiving, not so much in forgetting but that day I truly let go… The anger. The hurt. The pain. I let it all go. And from that day the journey to Allāh seemed more easier! I felt my heart really open wide. Spending further days smiling whilst learning of the blessings Aliyah had and has ma’sha’Allāh (Allāhụmma barįk laha); feeling hopeful that I too will get through my hardships with persistence and a little sabr (Day 26). I think this is a book I will return to, not only during Ramadan but at any time of the year when I consciously want to reconnect to Allah and worship more meaningfully. As mentioned above the dates of Ramadan change every year. For religious matters, Muslims follow a lunar calendar - that is one based on the phases of the moon - whose 12 months add up to approximately 354 days. That's 11 days shorter than 365 days of the standard calendar. As a result of the Islamic calendar being based on lunar (moon) cycles, this means the exact date of Ramadan and its subsequent celebration Eid ul-Fitr is subject to change. Saudi Arabia: MBS stressed to PM Sunak it considered targeting civilians in Gaza by Israel “henious crime” Curiously, the Qur’anic injunction for fasting the month of Ramadan touches on a similar thread of commonality. God says, “...fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may be mindful of God.” (2:183) Let’s break this down.

Bismillaah. This book has honestly helped me emotionally and most importantly, spiritually as it opened my eyes to view life in a different light. I truly enjoyed reading every chapter each day throughout the month of Ramadhan, and it became a routine for me to do a self-reflection after reading them with the prompts Aliyah came up with. To add, the heartfelt du'as written at the end of each chapter instills hope, love and faith that made readers feel re-newed, re-energized, and definitely enlightened - while striving to seek for self-betterment through the lens of an akhirah-focused future. I also love how she compartmentalized the chapters in the first 10 days of Ramadhan, mid-Ramadhan and the last 10-days of Ramadhan, focusing on the different aspects one needs to prioritize and noted down the ways one can reconnect with God. This year, Ramadan will be different. It’s going to be at a slower pace, giving us more time for reflection and the opportunity to be closer to God. As believers, we utilize our faith as a means to get through this crisis. As such, each day we will bring you a new reflection, written by our youth members across the country. We hope that these reflections will bring you some comfort and serve as a reminder to us all on the essence of Ramadan.Fasting is between dawn and sunset, during this period Muslims are not allowed to eat nor drink. Fasting is considered to teach self-discipline and reminds us of the suffering of those less fortunate than us. Aisha’s response to this was profound. She responded, “By Allah, I cannot find of you an example except that of Joseph’s father: ‘So (for me) patience is most fitting against that which you assert and it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought.’” ( Bukhari 4750 ) I love the chapter on ‘Presence’. The author didn’t present herself as ‘Mrs Perfect’ rather the theme of presence was explored through the lens of imperfections that characterised our busy lives.